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Kor Sara
Kor Sara is a Desert World, classified as a Frontier World and home to the Kor Saran Dust Ranger regiments of the Imperial Guard. History Free Colony The Azure Voyage, Dear Humility, and Bronze Jewel arrived to Kor Sara's orbit in 441.M41 after a long, trying journey through the ill-maintained route the fleet's captains had bid for. The three ships, civilian vessels filled with eager people, surveyed the planet and found that, though inhospitable, the planet could indeed support human life. The colonists made landfall and established the city of Sloeburn, among the shelter of the planets canyons. At first, it was all they could do to survive. The planet had a number of hostile plant and animal lifeforms, but the settlers came into their own. Soon, moisture farms where up and running, providing enough water for the colonists, their grox herds, and their hydroponics. True Kor Sarans now, they established a second settlement to the north of Sloeburn, and called it Cindermere. The people of Cindermere mined the mountains for ore and fuel, establishing the basis for production of more advanced resources and installations. Large scale factories improved the lot of the settlers, and the planet was closer to becoming home. The third settlement, Rigmoor, was founded after one of the Kor Sarans, Silas Rigby, found a massive aquifer while prospecting for ceramics. Rigmoor presented a great opportunity for horticulture, and Kor Sara's population steadily grew, reaching a little bit over 5.000.000 inhabitants by 999.M41. The Blackness The fall of Cadia and the eruption of the Great Rift was felt, even in the further reaches of the Ultima Segmentum. Though the colony was self-reliant and small enough as to avoid notice by the Imperium at large, they now found that they didn't have a choice in the matter. Earthquakes shook Kor Sara, psychic aftershocks of the new scar upon the face of the galaxy. The worse effects would take some time in manifesting. Circa 056.M42, another prospector made a discovery, though of a different nature. The man made his way through new paths in the canyons and ravines, opened by the earthquakes, and made his way underground. There he found the tomb. A sprawling complex of metal, gleaming in the dark, edged with pallid green light. His presence was the final push, and the necrons awoke. Canoptek scarabs swarmed the unfortunate man, before starting the long-delayed reanimation process. The first necron warriors attacked Cindermere and, though few in number, caused tremendous damage to the population before being overcome. The colonists were not prepared for such an enemy and did not even know what kind of beings they were facing. Marshall Ezekiel Morgan rose to the occasion, assembling a militia of free citizens and equipping them with the old, unused autoguns the colony ships had in storage. Although the Kor Saran's where familiar with the terrain and where determined to a fault, the necron tide was unstoppable. Cindermere stopped all production of anything but arms and ammunition, while Sloeburn became a fortress and training ground, under constant assault by the necrons. Ezekiel Morgan was granted emergency powers unanimously, and he expanded the size of the militia. The veterans of the early skirmishes would be reformed into companies of "Dust Rangers", intrepid men and women who would brave the ravines and the dust flats, moving swiftly to outmanoeuvre and ambush the metal invaders. Even as the conflict dragged on, it became evident that the settlement was doomed, and plans began for a massive evacuation as even more necron warriors spilled out into the gorges and ravines of Kor Sara. Angels of Death Even as the gates of Sloeburn where cracking under the necron's fire, a storm of steel fell from the sky. Since the early days of the engagement the colony had been broadcasting a distress call, though with little hope of anyone hearing it since they new themselves cut off from the wider Imperium. However, Kill-team Invexus and a Company of Adeptus Astartes of the Silver Skulls Chapter made their way to Kor Sara. Their hope restored, the militia held and while the Marines engaged the necrons, the Dust Rangers employed the newest weapons from Cindermere to devastating effect. The Cindermere engineers had dug through the ships archives, and found the schematics to manufacture a small number of Ragefire Plasma guns. After breaking the siege on Sloeburn, the Dust Rangers tracked the necrons to their origin. Kill-Team Invexus spearheaded the assault, supported by the Silver Skulls and the grizzled Kor Saran veterans. The conflict raged on for months more, every inch of ground into the tomb precious, even as the canoptek spyders woke more warriors, and prepared to disinter a Necron Lord. Casualties were high when they reached the burial chamber. The Necron Lord stood tall, surrounded by his elite guard. Dust Rangers and Silver Skulls stood side by side, firing into the deathless machines, as Sergeant Invexus charged forward and engaged the xenos in single combat. The battle was fierce, and it cost the Marine an arm before his thunder hammer crushed his enemy's head. After the field was won, the Astartes gathered their dead and purged the complex in purifying fire, before collapsing the whole thing. The Silver Skulls had lost tens of men, the Rangers hundreds, among them Ezekiel Morgan. The people of Kor Sara expressed their gratitude to the Deathwatch and the Silver Skulls, and the Dust Rangers changed their insignia from the marshal's copper star to a silver one, in honour of the Astartes that had come to their aid. The Marines departed, and the people of Kor Sara set out to rebuild, and reestablish contact with the Imperium. Imperial Rule It took some years, but Imperial rule came to Kor Sara. Sloeburn, Cindermere, and Rigmoor chose Obadiah Atkins, Morgan's second in command and the leader of the Kor Saran Militia, to act as planetary governor. Representatives from the Administratum set up their installation in Sloeburn, and the Ecclesiarchy established a mission in Rigmoor. As for Kor Sara's tithe, it was determined that they would maintain the Dust Rangers, grow them, and send them out as Light Infantry Regiments. The militia would also remain, to act as the Planetary Defence Force. The Kor Sarans continue to eek out an existence on the fringes of the galaxy, even as their men and women fight the Emperor's wars on besieged planets, planets in need of aid as they were. They do not begrudge their tithes. Geography Kor Sara is a barren and arid world, with vast salt flats that cover two thirds of the planet's surface and where temperatures can kill a man, if the pitfiends don't get him first. The rest of the surface is covered in mountainous badlands, filled with canyons, gorges, and ravines. Although they provide shelter, they make traversing the planet on anything but foot pretty much impossible. The orography is mostly shaped by wind erosion, since Kor Sara has little or no surface water. There are bodies of water dispersed through the planet's crust, in deposits of varying size. The salt storms can prove fatal to those caught unawares, as the abrasive particles in the high speed winds can cause great damage to unprotected flesh and asphyxiate the unprepared. Notable Locations * Sloeburn: '''The place where the original colonists made planetfall, Sloeburn is the administrative center of Kor Sara. A fortified city situated in a defensible position amongst the canyons and ravines of the planets surface, it holds the barracks and training grounds for the Kor Sara Militia and the Dust Rangers Regiments. The Citadel holds both the offices of the Administratum and the Planetary Governor. Sloeburn also has a powerful comm relay, with which they maintain communication with the Imperium. * '''Cindermere: '''A few days' march north of Sloeburn, Cindermere is the industrial center of Kor Sara. Built into the side of a mountain, and continuing deep underground, it extracts and refines ore and fuel, using it to produce the materials for the colony's infrastructure, as well as for the arms and munitions for its forces. The leaders of the worker's guilds wear ceremonial masks, made of steel and shaped like skulls, in honour of the Marines that came to the aid of their people. * '''Rigmoor: '''On the edge of the badlands and one of the great salt flats of Kor Sara, a week's march west of Sloeburn, Rigmoor is the breadbasket of the planet. Their ample reserves of water allow for a great amount of hydroponics and grox herding. Rigmoor is the most pious community, since it was here that the first mission was established on Kor Sara, and it has a moderately sized cathedral. People Kor Sarans are rough and hardy people. Originally hivers fleeing the Imperium in search of freedom, they are now staunch imperials, carving a place in the galaxy for humanity. They are patient people, used to walking the deserts and gorges of their planet, where haste can be fatal. Although the Kor Sarans are one people, there are differences among the inhabitants of the different cities. Sloeburn has most of the bureaucrats and soldiers, Cindermere the engineers and miners, Rigmoor the farmers and artisans. Kor Sarans favour light clothes to keep cool, and usually wear broad hats or loose cloth wrapped around their heads to protect against the sun. Military * '''Kor Saran Marshals: '''Even after being sent a contingent of Adeptus Arbites to oversee the proper functioning of the colony, Kor Sara maintains its old Marshall force. The Marshals are adept at navigating the trails of the desert planet, and relentless in the pursuit of criminals in their cities. Their insignia is a copper, five-pointed star. It is not unheard of for small squads of marshals to be tithed alongside Dust Ranger regiments. * '''Kor Saran Militia: '''Regularised after their inclusion into the Imperium, they nevertheless maintain the name they had during the Blackness. The Kor Saran Militia are a large force, numbering well in excess of thirty thousand regulars, equipped with basic, but up to standard, arms and armour. Their insignia is a snake wrapped around an autogun. * '''Kor Saran 1st Infantry "Dust Rangers": '''The Dust Rangers are the planet's Imperial Guard Regiment, a Light Infantry forced specialised in rapid tactical deployment and the use of hit-and-run and ambush tactics. Thoroughly accustomed to long marches and survival situations, the Dust Rangers shine in conflicts where barren, treacherous, or inhospitable terrain allow them to showcase their hard-won experience. Their insignia is a silver star, the colour a tribute to the Silver Skulls Chapter. Flora and Fauna * '''Pitfiend: '''Kor Saran pitfiends are gargantuan,spear-fanged, worm-like creatures that burrow deep beneath the dust of the planets surface, emerging suddenly from below ground and devouring their prey. Pitfiends can grow to be several hundred metres long and have powerful bodies, encased in a rock-like carapace hard enough to abrade a path through the grit. These savage creatures are, fortunately, very rare. * '''Viper Hawk: '''Viper hawks are high flying predators that nest on the mountain ranges of Kor Sara. Their name comes from the powerful poison that they can inject with their needle-sharp talons. In spite of the ferocious and territorial nature of these creatures, it is not unheard of for hardy, and fool hardy, Sarans to tame these creatures for personal use. * '''Eyezzard: '''An inoffensive creature, the Kor Saran eyezzard is a psychically active critter to be found roaming the planets many crevices. No larger in size than two handspans, the little reptile has, reportedly, a single eye. They are incredibly elusive, since they display a preternatural instinct to avoid predators and, indeed, any observer. * '''Shrapnel Leaf: '''In the blasted wasteland of Kor Sara, moisture is hard to come by. The shrapnel leaf is a tall, bulbous plant, covered in thousands of small, quasi-metallic spines. The plant has a very large, spherical repository of water that grows underground. Early settlers discovered, to their dismay, that when one of the plants is approached it fires the spines with tremendous force in a radius of tens of meters. The spines have enough force to puncture through flak armour at close range, and are coated with a toxic substance. * '''Mirror Moss: '''One of the more widespread forms of life on Kor Sara, mirror moss is a silvery-white plant that appears in clumps on rocky surfaces. Though inedible, the people of Kor Sara ferment and distil it to create liquor. * '''Shadeleaf: Shadeleaf is a herbaceous plant found in the less arid parts of Kor Sara, sheltered by mountains and canyons. It grows to be one meter in height, with wide leaves. Kor Sarans prune the leaves, dry them, and roll them into cigars. Gallery Kor Saran Militia.jpg|Kor Saran Militia Uniform Kor Saran 1st Infantry.jpg|Kor Saran 1st Infantry - Parade Uniform Kor Saran Marshals.jpg|Kor Saran Marshal Uniform Category:Desert Worlds Category:Frontier Worlds Category:Imperium Category:Worlds Category:Ultima Segmentum